Incumbent: Foe faking bisexuality for votes

PHILADELPHIA - The old tactic of dragging out an opponent's sexual skeletons for political gain is being turned on its head in the City of Brotherly Love.

In a left-leaning district anchored by a roughly 3-square-block area known as the Gayborhood, where gay-pride rainbows grace even the street signs, a state representative accuses her foe of pretending to be bisexual to win votes.

Rep. Babette Josephs says Gregg Kravitz, her challenger in the May 18 Democratic primary for the 182nd District House seat, told her he was gay, then appeared at a campaign event with a woman who introduced herself as his girlfriend.

"I outed him as a straight person, and now he goes around telling people, quote, 'I swing both ways,' " Josephs told supporters April 15 in recorded comments at a fundraiser at a downtown pub. "That's quite a respectful way to talk about sexuality.

"There will be cheating (during the election) if he can get away with it, because he already has tried to lie to people about a whole bunch of stuff, including his sexuality."

He said that he isn't using his sexual orientation as a "primary talking point." He noted that his campaign Web site makes no mention of it, but said he believes that his perspective would be a benefit in Harrisburg to the district's gay constituents.

So is it now a plus to be gay, lesbian or bisexual when running for office?

Kravitz, 29, describes himself as openly bisexual and currently in a relationship with a woman. He was the one who came forward with the recording, made by a supporter he declined to identify, and called Josephs' statements "dishonest and disgusting."

"This is a part of who I am. ... I hope no one would vote either for or against me because of who I am," he said. "It's unfortunate that my sexuality is a topic of discussion for her stump speech."

Josephs, 69, a widowed mother of two, stood by her comments but said Friday that she was taking issue with her opponent's credibility, not his sexual orientation.